USA > Pennsylvania > History of the First regiment infantry, National guard of Pennsylvania (Grey Reserves) 1861-1911, pt 2 > Part 14
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This encampment had other significant features, out of the routine, some of the details of which are supplied in the in- structive report of Lieut .- Col. W. F. Richardson, the division quartermaster :
" Never in the history of the National Guard were the rail- roads so liberal and their arrangements more complete for rapid movement of the division." The division mobilized within twenty- four hours, and the encampment closing on Saturday, July 19, " all troops were at their home station by Saturday night."
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The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad ran sidings for the different brigades at great expense. The Western Maryland also ran a siding from its main line " for the accommodation of troops and batteries." A schedule is submitted with Colonel Richardson's report giving hour of departure from the camp, and the hour of arrival at the camp of each separate organization with the make- up, composition, and character of the train which transported it.
The cost of the use of the grounds occupied by the encamp- ment was met largely by the Gettysburg Citizen Committee. Water, donated from the same source, was supplied through six or seven miles of pipes, tapping the main pipe entering Gettys- burg on the Spangler Farm. Bath houses, erected, one for each regiment, and one for the troops and batteries, were used to great advantage.
The regimental advance detail for construction left to prepare the way for the regiment's participation in the 1902 Camp George G. Meade, Gettysburg Encampment. on Wednesday evening, July 9, at half-past nine o'clock. The regiment with Colonel Bowman in command followed on Friday evening, July 11, assembling at the armory at eight-thirty o'clock and entraining by the Reading at Broad and Callowhill Streets at nine o'clock. The movement was in two sections, the first reached Gettysburg at six-fifty-two on Saturday morning the twelfth, and the second, close behind it. arrived at seven-thirty-two. Gondola, baggage and stock cars furnished the transportation for the regimental ambu- lance impedimenta and horses. The encampment was formally opened with a national salute and the raising of the flag at division headquarters at nine o'clock on the morning of the twelfth, and the regiment had reached its camp destination in time to be present from the beginning.
Breakfast. under the regular schedule fixed for 6.30. was on the morning of Thursday, July 17, announced for five, and the companies were directed to be assembled in their several company streets at six o'clock for the annual muster and in- spection. Inspection drills directed to include ceremonies, bat- talion movements, extended order, outpost duty. advance and rear guard. followed. and a full twelve-hour day closed with a review of the division by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief at five o'clock in the afternoon.
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The men had also been cautioned that inspectors would make ratings upon discipline: that the condition of the camp. interior of tents. the conduet of men off duty and the order in camp after taps would be important factors in computing this discipline rat- ing. Infantry ratings were to be by regiment and would be so announced.
The concluding ceremony of moment was the review of the division by the Secretary of War on the afternoon of Friday, the 18th, a review which afforded the National Guard of Pennsyl- vania the unconscious opportunity through his " genuine observa- tion " of permitting him to say to the country " that this Guard is worth many millions of dollars to the National Government."
The regiment broke its camp on Saturday morning. the 19th. scheduled to leave at 10.45 A ... the first section composed of 14 coaches and 1 combination ear, left at 12.01 noon, and the second. made up of 2 coaches. 5 box, 1 stock, and 1 gondola car, 15 ears in all, scheduled also to leave at 10.45 A.r., left at. 12.16. Neither delay nor accident hindering the movement. its arrival in Phila- delphia with the elose of the day, included the regiment in the official statement that " all troops were at their home stations by Saturday night."
The report of Maj. William P. Duvall of the Artillery Corps. one of the officers of the army, detailed to attend the encampment. is comprehensive in its scope, thorough in its discussion, and remarkable in the exactitude with which its details lead up to its conclusions. It has been recognized as so well worthy of preserva- tion in the State's archives that it appears in full in the Appendix and is liberally quoted from in the text of the Adjutant-General's report for 1903. The following, a concluding paragraph. illus- trative of its general trend, is a definitive embodiment of its con- clusions :
I inspected every officer and man of the division in ranks, following the inspector throughout his big task, hour by hour and step by step, and rode beside him whenever he was mounted. I witnessed thus the review of every regiment, troop, and battery. and ob-erved a drill of each (in some cases several) ; saw every regiment at dress parade, some of them several times, and observed four regimental guard mountings in different regiments. and noted in all cases how distinctly ereditable, and in a good many how extremely well, the thing in hand was done, whether at a halt. a march past, an evolution or drill. or some field exercise. As already stated. I also inspected the setting of the canvas ( including sinks) of every regimental
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camp. I saw. too, as previously stated, the detraining of one entire brigade, and the entraining of a large part of the other two. Finally, I took part in two reviews of this splendid division in its entirety. Having had rather extensive experience in command of troops, regulars and volunteers, from a company in garri-on to some two thousand men in the field on active service, I think I can justly claim, at any rate I do claim, to know about soldiers and soldiering, and I also know that I am a comparatively revere and exacting critic of troops under all conditions. With all this in mind, 1 give it as my fixed opinion and cool judgment that the division of the National Guard of Pennsylvania is to-day the most homogene- ous and solid, the most uniformly accoutred and equipped, the most spirited, and the most valuable division of troops that can be got together in the same time in this country, and in this estimate I am including all troops, regular-, volunteers, militia, or what not. and I would like to emphasize this further by saying that were I a general otlicer I would rather command this division. rather take my chances of success with it, than any other division that it is practicable to organize quickly in the United States.
Comment and criticism from observation, tabulation and ratings from inspections, each from the highest sources and the best authority, have rarely met in confirmation and support of each other with such significance as is disclosed in the reports of the result of the labors of this encampment. Text and figures come together, the reviewing officers with their comments, the inspectors with their ratings-all are in full accord, not with a few organizations of superior qualifications supplying a leaven for the whole, but with a general proficiency throughout the entire body.
The figure tabulations of what the inspectors had to say thus supplement what the reviewers said. Of the fourteen regimental units eleven had a regimental general average of 90 and upwards, and of the remaining three, their averages all in the SO's, the lowest was SS.SO. In the all-important rating of discipline no one of the entire fourteen was below 90. On the right of this column of regimental units, leading the forces of the State, was the First Regiment of Infantry conspicuous for its proficiency in this column of " all proficients " with the highest average of all. 95.5S, and the best rating for discipline. 97. The other ten in the 90's with their general averages and ratings for discipline were as follows: Eighth. general average, 92.67; discipline, 04; Third, 92.52, 94: Ninth, 91.34, 96; Tenth, 90.96, 91; Twelfth. 90.80, 95; Sixth. 90.80. 93; Fourth, 90.52, 95; Sixteenth, 90.29, 93; Fifth, 90.21, 93; Fourteenth, 90.21, 90. And the
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three regiments in the SO's stood respectively as follows: Second, $9.57, 95; Thirteenth, 89.12. 96; Eighteenth, $5.50, 92.
The results of the Rifle Practice showed a betterment in the regiment in the few who did not and the many who did qualify in the season of 1902. Out of an aggregate of 762 but 7 failed to qualify. The total qualifications, 765 in all, were: Sharp- shooters, 15: first-class marksmen, 118; second-class marksmen, 615; third-class marksmen, 4. The revolver qualifications were : Experts, 30; marksmen, 25; total qualified, 5S; failed to qualify, 3; aggregate, 61.
There was but little from the competitions of 1902 that came this way. At Sea Girt Pennsylvania was fifth on the Hilton Trophy Match with a score of 1076, First Lieutenant William S. Sloan's-the only First Regiment representative on the team- score was 87, and fifth also in the Inter-State Match with a score of 1031, with Lieutenant Sloan again scoring his S7. At Mount Gretna the First's score, 333, gave the First Regiment third place for the regimeutal match, the Thirteenth winning with 339. The Ninth Regiment won the Regimental Skirmish Match. The Brigade Match came to the First Brigade with a score of 1039, against the Third's 1007. and the Second's 971. On the First Brigade team from the First Regiment were Lieutenant Mehard with 85, Lieutenant Sloan with 82, and Private Stewart with SO. Of the individual matches Second Lieutenant Horace S. Lewars, Company E, won the Hatfield Cup and medals first prize revolver match with a score of 79. The Trexler Trophy, ten shots at 1000 yards, brigade teams of four, came to the First Brigade with a score of 112. the two reserves from First Regiment, Lieutenant H. J. Mehard and Sergeant J. B. Maule, not participating.
Industrial disturbances 1902-differences between mine workers and operators in the anthracite coal region in the end proving unadjustable, the mine workers ceased work, and early in 1902 " both parties to the controversy settled down to a long contest." Unlawful assemblages, riots, outbreaks, deputy sheriffs killed. police officers wounded, conspicuously occurring in parts of Schuylkill and Carbon counties, followed each other with short- mning intervals. until eventually the Governor determining, as had been definitely reported. that the eivil anthorities were unable to cope with the situation, on July 30 ordered the major-general
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commanding the division of the National Guard to place on duty such portions of the division as in his judgment might be neces- sary to enforce the laws, restore order, and maintain peace in the disaffected region. The disturbances widening in territory and increasing in violence, one command after another was placed on duty through the late summer and early fall until in the end the Governor so directing. the entire division was in service, the First Brigade taking the field on October 6. The commanding officer. Brig .- Gen. John W. Sehall, established his headquarters at Tamaqua. A Division General Order charging the respective brigade commanders " with the duty of suppressing disturbances. maintaining peace and order," assigned the First Brigade to " Carbon County. the southern half of Luzerne, and that section of Schuylkill County lying south and east of a line drawn through Brookside, New Boston, and Delano."
" As it seemed likely." said General Schall in his special re- port, " the troops would be called upon to stay some time in the field, it was considered advisable to allow officers and men to arrange their business affairs, no effort being made to establish a record for prompt mobilization." Familiar scenes awaited it, the campaign of '75 was still a memory, when avoiding the haste and bustle of a hurried departure and following the directions of the Regimental Order No. 3. Current Series, equipped for the field with Colonel Bowman in command the regiment left the armory at eleven o'clock on the evening of Tuesday, October 7, 1902. reaching Hazleton. its destination, over the Lehigh Valley Railroad in its train of two sections shortly after daylight on the morning of the 8th.
" The threatening crowd of strikers," said the Inquirer cor- respondent. " which the Quaker City guardsmen confidently ho- lieved would greet them upon their arrival in the city were not in sight. No unpleasant features marked the reception of the regi- ment here, but stones were thrown at the soldier train as it passed Bethlehem. This town is sixty miles from the strike-affected region and the bombardment cannot be aseribed to the hostility of the strikers."
That the territory assigned to the First Brigade might be properly covered and the First Regiment be allotted its appropriate share of the responsibility the following dispositions were made.
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The headquarters of the First Regiment were established at the armory of the Ninth Regiment, corner Church and Gum Streets, Hazleton, with Company D. Captain John A. Osborn; Company C, Captain Henry Nuss, Jr .; and a section of Light Battery A, 2 guns, detached from the battery under command of First Lieu- tenant Norman Macleod: Company I, Captain Thomas H. P. Todd; Company L, Captain George I. Scattergood, under com- mand of Maj. Albert L. Williams, First Battalion, Lehigh Valley Shops, Hazleton. Company A, Captain Charles F. S. Ellwanger, Harwood, Luzerne County; Company E, Captain Charles P. Hunt, Cranberry, Inzerne County; Company B. Captain Charles S. Wood; Company G, Captain George B. Zane, Jr., constituted a post at Lattimer, Luzerne County, with Major William S. Allen. Second Battalion, in command. Company M. Captain W. Baner Gray, Upper Lehigh, Luzerne Co .; Company K, Captain Charles F. Hess, Jeddo, Luzerne Co .: Company HI, Captain Sylvester G. Watson, Jeddo, Luzerne Co .; Company F, Captain Wright J. F. Haggard, Highland, Luzerne Co., under command of Maj. Eugene J. Kensil, Third Battalion. Lieut .- Col. J. Lewis Good was assigned to the command of the post with his headquarters at Jeddo. The several battalion adjutants, First Lieutenant Augustus D. Whitney of the First, First Lieutenant Walter M. Hotz of the Second, and First Lieutenant George Rushton Howell of the Third, were on duty with their respective majors. Field musicians and hospital corps men accompanied their several companies. The medical staff was assigned Maj. Charles S. Turnbull at regimental headquarters; First Lieutenant Randolph Faries to the Third and First Lieutenant Wilfrid Bernard Fetterman to the Second; Captain and Regimental Adjutant Fred. Taylor Pusey with Captain Frederick P. Koons, quarter- master, and Captain Frank L. Mueller, commissary, were on duty at regimental headquarters.
These dispositions perfected, the reports from a number of localities indicated that the strikers and their sympathizers were quiet and manifesting a friendly spirit, extending at times to offers of assistance, necessarily declined. in preparing quarters. tents, carrying wood and water, police duty and other chores about camps or barracks. The regiment had a very large, and it was at first expected it would prove to be a very difficult. district to 33
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handle, but with judicious management it turned out otherwise. The use of tents was reduced to a minimum. Company M was the only company under canvas. Whenever buildings, shops, or halls could be utilized they were occupied as barracks, and so it fell to the lot of all the other companies to be so quartered.
Despite the general quiet there were attempted émeutes and occasional alarms, that disappeared with time, the approaching solution of the differences, and the general better understanding of the situation. The first night of the occupancy called out Company M from its station at the Lehigh Valley Shops with a reported wreck of a train of coal cars in the vicinity. Then Company I, Captain Todd, answered a hurry call, but when the soldiers reached the point of disturbance, investigation disclosed that a number of large boulders had been placed across the track. which a coal train, moving slowly with the tender in front, had run into, derailing the tender. The train crew had retracked the tender, removed the obstruetions and the train moved on. Toward evening on the ninth the companies quartered in and about Hazleton, with MacLeod's two rapid-fire guns, made a parade through the streets of the town and its outlying sections. The display was most ereditable, serving its purpose not only to acquaint the men with the neighborhood, but impress upon the community what there was in the presence of a well-disciplined, well-drilled military force. The character and calibre of the yet unfamiliar " rapid-fire gun " were a subject for much com- ment and eurious inquiry.
There were frequent conferences at regimental headquarters with Colonel Bowman, Captain Pusey, Lieutenant-Colonel Good. Majors Williams. Allen and Kensil, to study the maps of the country, acquaint themselves with the approaches and means of access to each of the collieries and to ascertain what roads were best available to reach localities likely to develop disorder.
Colonel Bowman took the precaution to acquire a personal familiarity with the terrain, roads, and centres most likely to harbor disaffection. With Captain Pusey he made long horse- baek tours through the county, visited his outposts often and fre- quently ran into crowds, some of a decidedly disorderly tendency. others better disposed. In one instance, with no troops within several miles, with no one with him but Captain Pusey, he rode
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into a threatening mob, insulting, turbulent, upon the verge of open violence, drew his revolver and with a few stern words of rebuke finally forced it to a sluggish dispersal.
Regimental General Order No. 33, of October 10, 1902, in the nature of a proclamation, Colonel Bowman caused to be printed in the three different languages spoken in the vicinity and posted in public places throughout the region, the preserva- tion of the good order of which had been specially placed in his keeping. The posting of the order by the soldiers seemed to create a comment equally as forceful as did the import of its words. Strikers gathered about wherever it was to be seen, and whether scanning it hurriedly or reading it closely, moved on with knitted brow and sullen frown. The order read as follows:
In compliance with General Order 39 A. G. O., c. s., and General Order 14, Headquarters Division N. G. P., c. s., the officers and men of this regiment and section of Battery A detailed for duty herewith, First Lieutenant Norman MaeLeod commanding, will be vigilant and fearless in the preserva- tion of the publie peace and good order upon all occasions.
All the inhabitants of this district will clearly and distinetly understand that the military forees are here, charged with the duty of protecting all trains and other property from unlawful interferenee.
And with the further duty of seeing that all men who desire to work shall be protected at all times, in their inalienable right to work, without fear of bodily harm to themselves or their families, and the protection of themselves and their wives and children in their homes, night and day, from every kind of intimidation, threats, assaults, and all aets of violence.
All persons and their families who are in any way being interfered with in the exercise of their lawful rights, of person or property, by intimida- tions, threats, assaults, or any kind of violence, or are in fear thereof, are requested to promptly report same to these headquarters, and full and com- plete protection will be given them and their homes, at all times, and persons engaged in such lawless acts will take due warning.
The people will understand that the duty thus assigned will be rigidly enforeed by the officers and men of this command and under no eireum- stances shall they allow any interference whatsoever in the discharge thereof.
All persons engaged in aets of violence and intimidation will be arrested and held under guard until further notice.
On October 13, 1902, Maj .- Gen. Charles Miller with his staff visited this 100 square miles of territory covered by Colonel Bowman's regiment. It was remarked by correspondents, with the approval of the general and those who accompanied him, that with patrols so alert and the troops so effectively posted. good order would certainly be maintained. The absence of soldiers, it was also said, from the streets of the towns embraced within the dis-
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trict was especially noticeable. The men were kept elose to quarters when not on post, and not allowed to idle about the thoroughfares.
On this same night, the 13th, the headquarters of Colonel Bowman, at the Hazleton Armory, were stoned. The sentries responded with three shots in the air and the stoning ceased. Shortly afterward a local night watchman in the vicinity, failing to heed the challenge of the sentry and continuing his approach, the sentry fired to bring him to a halt. The shot fortunately went over his head, after which with a satisfactory explanation he was permitted to pass on.
The opportunity for drills and military instruction, when the specific duties of the occasion permitted, was not lost. Nor was rifle practice neglected. Company commanders were direeted to report their unqualified men to First Lieutenant Charles P. Smith, Company E, Acting Inspector of Rifle Practice on duty at the Military Post commanded by Major Allen at Lattimer Mines, for the purpose of qualifying them as marksmen on a range there provided.
The strike was well on the wane, President Roosevelt had had it in hand, a conciliation board proposition had been received with favor, and at a convention of miners at Wilkes-Barre on October 21 " the strike was declared off." It was to be some weeks yet, however, before the gradual withdrawal of the troops reached the First Regiment.
In compliance with the earnest request of the representative citizens of the Borough of Hazleton, the regiment, including all its outlying companies, made a street parade through the prin- cipal thoroughfares of the town on the afternoon of October 21. It was an impressive demonstration, that met the approval and appreciation not only of those who had encouraged it. but of the citizens generally. Factories and industries suspended operations, schools were closed for the day, and stores temporarily. Vehicles and conveyances, transportation of every sort came to the borough crowded to discomfort, the alert and active seized every vantage ground for a better view and the multitude was everywhere.
The companies from outlying stations came in by train and trolley, Companies K and HI from Jeddo, Company M from Upper Lehigh, Company F from Highland by train, and Companies B and G from Lattimer by trolley. Company E stationed at Cran- berry, and Company A at Harwood, marched to and from their
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respective stations. The other companies were all quartered within the borough limits. The section of the battery had its place in rear of the column.
The line was formed promptly at four o'clock and the column moved north on Church Street to Diamond Avenue, west on Diamond Avenue to James Street, and south on James to Broad. Liberal applause, shouting and cheering, animation, appreciation, a manifest good feeling, greeted the column everywhere through- out the entire route. The steady ranks, impressive step, free swing, soldierly bearing, excellent deportment, so impressed the bystanders that there was open expression of "meritorious appro- bation." On reaching Broad Street a countermarch was made to Wyoming, where between Pine and Laurel Streets there was a dress parade, review, and a few exhibition manœuvres, such as the limited space would permit. At their conclusion the march was resumed to Cedar Street and thence to the headquarters at the Ninth Regiment Armory, where the parade dismissed, and the companies returned by train, trolley, or afoot, as they had come, back to their respective stations and places.
The following squibs from the local press, typical of such occasions, not lacking in general interest, will awaken many for- gotten memories:
POST ELLMAKER .- " The camp was practically deserted yesterday after- noon." " This camp. considering the quarters, is one of the cleanest in the region. Everything is spick' and span, the officers and privates are always clean shaved. and at all times present an excellent appearance." " The mem- bers of Company I football team will do some lively practice work for their game with Company D at Hazle Park on Friday afternoon." " A private explains that the reason extra soldiers were sent to Beaver Meadow and MeAdoo was to give the girls of those towns a chance." " Companies I and L made an excellent appearance, for all of which Major Williams and Captain Todd deserve much praise." " The Lattimer companies. under command of Captain Wood and Captain Zane, drilled well." " There was something doing when Lieutenant Hollenback had the telephone moved up to the commis- sary officers' room." " The boys are wondering who it was that got away with the Trail and what happened." " Lieutenant Patterson, of Company _1. who is the Assistant City Solicitor ( District Attorney) of Philadelphia, spent last evening the guest of Captain Todd. The lieutenant. aside from being a good soldier, is also one of the brightest legal lights in the City of Brotherly Love."
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